Enhancing the Kentucky Prescription Electronic Reporting System

The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) Program is the first major federal substance use disorder treatment and recovery legislation in 40 years and the most comprehensive effort to address the opioid epidemic. CARA establishes a comprehensive, coordinated, and balanced strategy through enhanced grant programs that expand prevention and education efforts while also promoting treatment and recovery. The Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Site-based program was developed as part of the CARA legislation signed into law on July 22, 2016.

The Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Site-based Program aims to reduce opioid abuse and the number of overdose fatalities, as well as to mitigate the impacts on crime victims. The program also supports the implementation, enhancement, and proactive use of prescription drug monitoring programs to support clinical decision making and prevent the abuse and diversion of controlled substances.

The Harold Rogers Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) is incorporated into the FY 2018 Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Site-based Program. The purpose of this program is to improve collaboration and strategic decision-making of regulatory and law enforcement agencies and public health officials to address prescription drug and opioid misuse, save lives, and reduce crime. This is made possible through the collection and analysis of controlled substance prescription data and other scheduled chemical products through a centralized database administered by an authorized state agency.

The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services will implement several enhancements to Kentucky’s PDMP, KASPER. Funding will be used to implement a KASPER Direct Messaging system component to support communications and alerts among KASPER users; to analyze and develop algorithms and techniques to increase the effectiveness of interstate data-sharing systems; and to increase utilization of KASPER data for studies and research focusing on reducing controlled substance abuse and overdose risk factors.

CA/NCF